Blog Post – Holiday Cookies

The holidays are always a hard time to find and create content for businesses that are in well-defined niches.  Tangental links to topical content work well during the holidays, as long as the article/blog post is written in an authentic voice. I created a post about different holiday cookies and linked it to the niche of the site through the idea of cultural diversity.  Embedding video recipes add value to the post and facilitates links to other creators and websites. Any time recommendations are used, affiliate links can be added as I did here. I found specialty cookware, foods, and appliances to match each recipe. See the full blog, including the videos, on brilliant-journeys.com.

“Holiday” and “cookie” are nearly inseparable, no matter where you are on the globe. These baked treats are more portable and easier than a cake but still provide a sweet interlude as you eat one or two… or three, four or five. I’ve rounded up some recipes from around the world, complete with videos. Try one of the recipes out for your office cookie exchange or family party!

Gingerbread

No holiday table is complete without the iconic gingerbread men. The tradition of forming gingerbread into objects began in England in the 16th century when Queen Elizabeth 1 decided to honor important visitors by creating their likenesses in the fragrant cookie. Gingerbread Houses came into fashion after the Brother Grimm published their book of fairy tales, “Kinder- und Hausmärchen.” The edible house of the witch in Hansel and Gretel was crafted by bakers and became popular during the holidays. For a more modern twist, watch Rosanna Pansinobake Wookie Gingerbread cookies in the video below!

Rosettes

These beautifully shaped cookies are fried to give them their distinctive crispiness. Popular in Nordic countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, a Rosette iron is dipped into a batter then dipped into hot oil. They are best the same day, so it’s a great activity for a family party – just be careful with the hot oil! Watch the video from Iowa Public Television below to see how to make them.

Alfajores

These traditional cookies from Latin America use cornstarch to give them their melt-in-your-mouth texture. Filled with indulgent dulce de leche, they are sometimes dipped in chocolate or rolled in coconut. Brought from Spain during colonial times, this cookie is so popular that it has entire cafès dedicated to making and selling them. Diana from Sweet Y Salado shows us how to make them in the video below. Don’t have time to make them? You can buy some from Havanna, the world’s most famous producer of the treats.

Almond Cookies

First created for the Emperor’s palace during the 16th century Ming Dynasty, these simple cookies are a New Years celebration staple. They are thought to bring good fortune since they look like coins with an almond pressed into the center. They are crisp and flavorful and can be cut out in whatever shape you desire. The chef from Cooking with Dog creates a cookie in the shape of her co-host in the video below!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The invention of the iconic American cookie can be traced back to chefs Ruth Grays Wakefield and Sue Brides. They created the cookie for the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts during the late 1930s. During World War II, soldiers from Massachusetts would share the cookies from their care packages, and soon the Toll House Inn was inundated with requests for the recipe. The recipe was first published in Wakefield’s first cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes. It is included on virtually the back of every Nestlè semi-sweet chips bag in the world. Watch the official video from Nestlè about how to make this cookie!

What’s your favorite cookie during the holidays? Do you have a closely guarded family recipe? Tell me in the comments!

Affiliate links are used in this post. I receive a small commission on any purchase made, helping me keep blogging (you can see my disclosure statement HERE).